Other than the NCAA basketball tournament, the Super Bowl probably generates more office pools than any other sports event.

But if you (or your employees) are making and taking bets around the office cooler, are you running afoul of the law?

Technically, yes, though it shouldn’t be a huge concern, said Brian Finucane, managing partner of the Kansas City office of Fisher & Phillips LLC, a labor and employment law firm.

“The chances of any law enforcement being interested in this are very small,” he said. “They probably have their own pools.”

Still, employers and managers would be wise not to organize or sponsor any pools themselves and to encourage employees to limit such activity to their personal time.

Finucane said offices can find other alternatives. At his firm, the partners finance a prize for the office so workers don’t have to place wagers. Employers also could set up a contest as a raffle, giving a portion of the proceeds to charity.

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